All's Fair in Love and War
by IamMe2525
Summary: Full summary inside; there's not enough room here. Several Genres, several crossovers. However, the main story is sticking to Fire Emblem Awakening, with several mentions to other things. Does some jumps to post-Radiant Dawn. Follow a Branded who lost much of his memory, but has several powers, & a complex family tree. Yaoi/yuri in future chapters. Don't expect much graphic scenes.
1. Chapter 1

Hello! If you're new to my fics, welcome! I hope you enjoy this. If you're not, then welcome back; I hope you continue to enjoy my work. Unlike most of my fics, which were/are written out on paper, revised, then typed, this one is going to be written strictly off the top of my head. Because of that, I can't promise it to be great material, but I do hope it's enjoyable.

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything in this fic (except the OC and plot twists that aren't already in-game *hint hint*). I'm only doing one disclaimer here, so that's that.**

Background info:

_OC name_: Jake Celest

_personality_: loving; puts his friends before himself; doesn't care what needs to be done, so long as his friends are safe (or at least survive, if they're in a battle)

_back-story_: Jake lived with a simple family of 4, until they were killed on his 20th birthday. Jake was spared, but sent to a bunch of different worlds. Jake became something of a leader and strategist, though his modesty forced him to underestimate his own abilities. The worlds he was sent to (before now) were: Yu-Gi-Oh, Rise of the Guardians, Kingdom Hearts, Naruto, Dragonball Z. He gained a multitude of powers and abilities throughout those places, though - as a "generalist", not a "specialist" - he only excelled at using his dual Keyblades {Kingdom Hearts}, and was descent with the rest. After his last adventure, he was given a duty by a the Man in the Moon {Rise of the Guardians}. The duty was to unite the worlds; starting with one male and one female from each world he visits. To show that they would be chosen, Jake would present the people with a special necklace. Both had an identical design, but with one small difference: the females' necklaces had a heart-shaped talisman, whereas the males' had a cresent moon-shaped talisman. After accepting his duty, Jake was sent to Tellius {Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn}, where this particular story begins, _but_ *minor spoilers* will be placed into Ylisse {Fire Emblem: Awakening} before too long. (between Chapters 20 and 21 to be exact)

_powers/abilities:_ {from Yu-gi-oh} the game of Duel Monsters, and can summon a Duel Disk and one of his decks at will. {from Kingdom Hearts} the use of the Keyblades (two in particular: Oathkeeper and (custom) Tied to the Scattered), magic, and dark portals for teleporting, though he can't go very far in one jump. {from Naruto} a few minor nin- and genjutsu, and inherited both the Byakugan and Sharingan, though neither were particularly useful in this world {A/N: I know you can't 'inherit' either of those unless you are in the required clan, but just go with it}. {from DBZ} the Kamehameha wave, and able to jump really high (almost like flying for a couple seconds at a time). {from Guardians} Jake became the Guardian of Balance, and thus became fairly attuned to the balances in the world he stands in (i.e between light and darkness, good and evil, etc.) Thus, he can use magic of nearly any element, but with one small catch: he must use two spells of opposite element (i.e fire & ice, wind & earth, lightning & water, etc.) together; and those spells take up quite a lot of energy.

I do believe that wraps everything up. We can now go onto the story.

{A/N: This will start in third person, following Chrom and co, then will switch over to first person, Jake's POV. And no, Jake isn't Robin; they're going to be different characters, and this was written assuming you know at least the main characters/storylines of all the worlds in the _back-story. _Robin will be female and married to Chrom, thus Morgan will be male, as well as Lucina's brother.}

* * *

**All's Fair in Love and War**

**Chapter 1**

Chrom's head was spinning, trying to keep up with everything at once. He and his army were just returning from Valm. Walhart the Conquerer was defeated, and the new war he brought ended before it could escalate further than it already had. As thanks for stopping Walhart's ambition, as well as hoping to stop Grima, Say'ri gave Vert, Chon'sin's Gemstone, to him. Just after returning to his own continent, Chrom sent Frederick to search for the fifth Gemstone, Sable. He then did some research, and discovered that, in order to complete the Awakening ritual and receive the divine Naga's power, one must survive her Trial of Flame. If the candidate can't survive the fire, both in body and spirit, then he or she will die.

Now this.

Robin claimed she found someone unconscience, just lying on the grass. Chrom and Robin went to retrieve this person, both thinking that this was a familiar situation, though Chrom couldn't quite put his finger on it. When they arrived at the spot, Chrom found a boy, seemingly around 17 years of age. He was laying on his back, his hair covered by a hoodie jacket, with a thin strip of cloth in his hand. He carried no other items as far as Chrom could see.

"How long has he been like this?" Chrom asked. Robin shook her head. "He hasn't moved an inch since I last saw him, about twenty minutes ago. He has no mark of anything to show loyalty to a particular country, though I did find something...odd."

"Like what?" Now Chrom was curious, and a little concerned. Robin hesitated in what she just said. That itself is odd.

Without a verbal response, Robin flipped both the boy's hands. His left hand had a mark that almost looked like a disfigured tatoo of a person's face. To be more precise, only the eyes, nose, mouth and...a moustache? Chrom didn't ponder on it much, it was his other hand's mark that drew his attention. The purple marking looked familiar.

Robin held her right hand next to the boy's. That's when Chrom made the connection.

"They're the same..." He whispered.

Robin nodded. "He was wearing these to cover them." She held up a pair of dark leather gloves, similar to the pair that Robin wore.

Chrom placed a hand over his chin in thought. "A real mystery..."

Robin nodded her agreement. "What should we do?"

"I say we take him in," came a female voice behind them. Chrom turned and saw their daughter from the future.

"Lucina, you were eavesdropping?" Robin asked. Lucina shrugged. "Only for a moment. Sorry Mother."

Robin smiled her sweet smile. "It's alright, dear. Just try not to make a habit out of it?" Though she worded it as a question, she meant it as a request - Chrom wouldn't call it an 'order', for Robin isn't that kind of person.

Lucina shrugged. "I'll try."

Chrom nodded, getting back to the topic at hand. "I agree with you, Lucina. We should take him in."

Robin looked concerned; for whom, Chrom could not tell. "Are you sure about this?"

Chrom nodded again. "At least until we find out who he is." Robin shrugged. "If you say so." She and Chrom then picked the boy up, and Chrom asked Lucina to return to Ylisstol ahead of her parents.

When they arrived at Chrom's beloved country's capital, Chrom, Robin, and the other boy went straight to the Shepherd's base. They sat the boy on a chair, and Robin went to fetch a bucket of cold water. When she returned, she splashed it on his face. He awoke with a start, his dark blue eyes both groggy and alert at the same time.

"What? Where?" The boy said, spitting water out of his mouth as he did so.

/\/\/\/ Back up the clock \/\/\/\

{A/N: We are now switching to Jake's POV, first person. Also, the setting is switching to Tellius (Radiant Dawn) for a little bit, then will return to Ylisse.}

I ran after him, the strange man who claimed to know the secrets of my past. With my memory gone, I had no choice but to follow him. Not necessarily to trust him, but at least find out what he knows. Soren ran behind me, shouting "Wait up!" As he did so. The man stopped on the outside of the Serenes Forest, and I stopped about twenty feet behind him. I turned my attention to the boy who was following me, though I kept his eyes on the other man.

"Soren," I said when he caught up. "Listen, I need to do this. You're my brother, and for that, you're one of my top priorities, but this is still something that must be done."

"But what if something happens to you?" He asked, his face going a slight shade of red. I understood the cause. Aside of one man and one woman, Soren didn't feel like anyone cared about him. Now that he found out he has a brother, who just saved his life at that, he couldn't let go.

"Well there's still Ike and Micaiah to take care of you, right?" I asked.

Soren shook his head. "That's not the point. I still need you. You saved my life from that guy." He pointed to the man who seemed to be waiting for me on the edge of the forest. "He just tried to kill me, then claimed to know of your past, a past that you yourself forgot recently. How can you trust him?"

I blinked. "I don't trust him. But I need to know what he knows. Even if he doesn't really know the truth, I may find a lead." I slid my glove off my left hand. "Soren, this mark is proof of the mixed blood in my veins. I'm a Branded, and I accept that. Which means that I'm not so easy to kill. You understand that, don't you?" He nodded slowly, and I continued. "Besides, don't forget, even if I don't remember anything before a year ago, I still have my powers, and I still have my duty. That man threatens the balance of this world; I can sense it. Even if I neither needed nor wanted to find out what he knows, I'd still have to chase him down and do something about him. I _am_ the Guardian of Balance, after all."

Soren shrugged, knowing he couldn't win this argument. "Fine. But I'm going with you."

At his words, I placed a hand on his shoulder. "No. Not this time. Go back to camp. Tell Ike and Micaiah what happened. Tell them that I'm going alone. Make sure no one else knows. Please."

He closed his eyes, staying silent for a moment. "...Fine. Have it your way. But I swear, Jake, if you don't come back in one piece..."

I chuckled. "Relax. I promise." With that, I continued my chase, for the man entered the Serenes Forest.

The chase went on for only a moment. As I jumped over a tree's root, the man held an arm out and caught me by the chest before I could react. The man laughed as I hit the ground face first. "Did you honestly think you could stop me?"

I slowly got up, dizzy from the fall. "I would kill you now, but..."

He laughed harder. "But what? You think you could defeat your father?"

My eyes widened as my brain registered his words. "What?! Who are you, and how are you my father?"

He stopped laughing. "My boy, you wouldn't know unless I told you."

Now I smirked. "Don't be so sure." With that, I focused, and my Duel Disk appeared on my left arm. I drew the top card and activated it, enhancing it so that it would be real, rather than only a hologram. I shouted the card's name as it ensnared him. "Shadow Spell!"

Black chains appeared out of nowhere and wrapped around him, binding his limbs. During my off-time as a Guardian, I recently practiced a new ability that Toothianna came up with and taught me. The ability, when perfected, would allow me to scan someone else's memories as if they were my own. However, as I didn't perfect it yet, I could only get a feeling in my gut when I tried. That being said, that feeling was always true - Tooth and Jack volunteered to help me practice. I placed my hand upon the man's head and focused my energies on his mind.

The feeling in my gut proved his claim to be correct. He was my father. What's more, I actually received some images, which weren't exactly appealing. The man's name was Validar, and a long time ago, he used his sorcery to force the spirits of himself, Queen Almedha of Daein, and a man whos name I did not know to procreate. Thus, Almedha became pregnant without her knowing, and I was conceived, with _two _fathers.

I removed my hand from Validar's head and slowly backed away, unable to believe what I just saw. "You mean... You can't be... You've got to be joking!" I said.

Validar laughed, and his body glowed purple. The Shadow Spell broke as I was unwilling to keep it going any longer. To make the cards real, and to use my magic, took quite a bit of energy and concentration, and I couldn't focus properly at the moment. I fell to my knees de-materializing my Duel Disk, and I could barely hear what Validar, my father, said.

"Oh, it's true alright. I am your father, as is Chrom of Ylisstol. Almedha of Daein is your mother. You will fulfil your destiny at my side." With that, he fired a dark spell at me, holding his Grima's Truth tome tight. I was still stunned by the news; his words didn't register, nor did I notice his spell. Not until _after_ I was hit. I blacked out.

/\/\/\/ Back to Present Time \/\/\/\

...

...

.._._

_Chrom. Ylisstol. Branded. Fire Emblem._

_Grima._

I felt something cold splash on my face as I regained conscienceness. My eyes snapped open. I was still tired from Validar's attack, but the water stung, and that helped me regain my senses. Water entered my mouth, and came back out, with words following it. "What? Where?"

"Good. You're awake." Came the voice in front of me. Although I was indeed 'awake', I was still disoriented from Validar's spell. Thus, my eyes and brain weren't connecting properly for a moment. When they did, I saw the same man whose spirit procreated with Validar and Almedha, and I knew who he was immediately.

"Chrom?" I asked. The man tilted his head slightly. "So you know who I am?"

I blinked. "I do?"

"This seems familiar..." Chrom said. A female next to him nodded. "Indeed. This seems like when you guys found me in that field."

"Oh yeah."

"So how do you know him?" She asked me. I blinked, still slightly disoriented, then started to explain. "There was a man in a forest. He claimed to know of my past, what I just forgotten about a year ago. When I tracked him down, I scanned his memories. That's how I know you, Chrom." I looked to the lady next to him. "And you must be... Robin?"

She nodded, then her eyes widened, as did Chrom's. "Wait," he said. "You can scan memories?"

I nodded back. "Yes, but it's tiring, and difficult to do so."

Another girl, one who I did not know even with some of Validar's memories, walked up next to the others. "Then what's the guys name? The guy you were chasing."

I hesitated slightly in answering. _Should I tell them?_ Something in my gut told me that I shouldn't tell them Validar's name. Not just yet. _My gut never steered me wrong before, so..._ "Sorry, but I don't know. It was really dark." I hoped that my excuse would satisfy their questions.

The new girl nodded slowly. "I see. And what's your name?"

"Jake Celest," I said. "And yours?"

Now it was the girl's turn to hesitate slightly. "...Lucina."

It was almost like it was on cue. Upon simply hearing her name, I received a large headache. I grunted and covered my forehead. That's when I noticed that my gloves were off. "Where are my gloves?" I asked, trying not to let my panic settle in my voice. _If they discover I'm a Branded, then..._

Robin handed me my pair. That's when I noticed something else. "Miss Robin? Is it a coincidence that we wear the same gloves?"

I didn't notice until a second after, but Lucina gasped. I turned my attention to her. "Did I say something offensive, Miss Lucina?"

She shook her head. "It's just Lucina. And no, I just...I noticed the mark on your hand."

My blood froze. _Which hand...?_ "My mark?" I asked, not even knowing what kind of results I was looking for. I usually preferred to be the one asking the questions. Hopefully, I could find out what she meant _without_ them finding out about my Brand. Yes, I accepted the fact, but I still know that there are those, especially in a 'human' society, that execute Branded in honor killings. I needed to make sure things weren't as bad as I feared.

That being said, Robin was the one to respond. She pulled her right glove off. My gaze was directed to the purple marking on her hand, then back to my own. "They're the same..."

Chrom nodded. "Now, is there anything else you can tell me? Anything about yourself, or where you come from? Anything that could help?"

I thought for a moment, then shook my head. "Nothing right now." That's when I noticed that Chrom was wearing armor, like they were going to battle. "Are you going somewhere?" I asked.

Chrom shook his head. "Not right this moment, but we probably will soon. Do you know about the Fire Emblem?"

I covered my forehead again. The headache was starting to come back. "Fire Emblem? You mean Lehran's Medallion?"

"Lehran's Medallion? What are you talking about?" Lucina replied. "The Fire Emblem is golden, shaped like a small shield."

Now I was confused. _Maybe...__ If this is yet another world, one that also houses a 'Fire Emblem', then..._ "Sorry, then it's not the same Fire Emblem that I'm familiar with. The one I know of is called Lehran's Medallion. It's a small blue pendant that supposedly houses a Dark God."

All of their eyes widened. "Are you serious?" I nodded in response, then heard someone else approaching.

"Milord, I have returned," came another voice, as the man who just spoke walked in.

"Yes, Frederick?" Chrom replied. "Did you find it?"

"I believe so, sire. King Validar has extended an invitation. He says Plegia has been guarding Sable, and now he wishes to return it to you."

I gulped in fear. _Validar...my father...a KING? Wait, what about Chrom? He's also my father. He's obviously some sort of leader. This guy - Frederick? - just called him 'milord', so-_

"And who is this, sire?" Frederick asked, looking at me.

"Someone quite similar to me," Robin answered. "I have a feeling we can, and should, trust what he says. At least keep him nearby."

Frederick looked uneasy, but shrugged. "Very well."

Chrom decided to return to the topic. "Now, back to Validar..."

"Ah yes," Frederick responded. "They sent word to me, milord. They must have caught wind of my search... In any case, Validar asks that you visit him in person, that he might formally present it. Perhaps needless to say, milord, but I don't like this one bit."

"Neither do I, Frederick the Wary," Chrom said. "Neither do I. At best, it's selfish political maneuvering at a time when the world can ill afford it. At worst, our run-in with those Risen during our last visit was no accident... But we will meet with him. Send word at once."

"Milord, are you sure that's wise?" Frederick asked. I agreed with him completely, though so far I kept silent. I didn't want to accidentally spill the beans on what I recently discovered; not when I didn't fully understand why.

"No," Chrom answered. "However, we don't have the time to be certain... And Emmeryn never refused a diplomatic gesture, no matter how foul-smelling. Think of it this way, if he doesn't give us the stone, he may at least tell us where it is." After seeing the unease on Frederick's (and Robin's) face, Chrom added. "Don't worry. I'm not walking into this blindly. We'll make certain everyone is armed to the teeth."

Frederick paused for a moment, likely in thought, then said, "Then the Fire Emblem, milord - you ought at least leave it behind."

I shook my head. "Unless of course, that's what he expects?"

All eyes found me. I was almost immobilized, and lost my train of thought for a second. I shook my head again. "From what I hear, Validar isn't exactly the most honorable man. If he's after the Emblem, and you leave it behind, it would be easy for him to steal it behind your backs, right?"

Robin nodded. "We should take it with us. It's safest with us."

Chrom nodded. "We'll learn Validar's true motives soon enough." He turned to me. "You said your name is Jake, right?"

I nodded, and he continued. "You can come with us."

My eyes widened slightly, as did Frederick's. "Milord, are -"

"-I'm not going to repeat this arguement, Frederick. You are a valuable advisor, but this is almost the same case that Robin had. Remember? And do you see how much she's helped us accomplish? Our wars would have likely had different outcomes if not for her help as a tactician."

I blinked and looked at her. "You're a tactician too?"

She nodded, then caught my word choice. "You too?"

I nodded back. "Yes, although I'm still learning. Especially now that I remember so little of my past, I may need some refresher courses."

She smiled. "Of course. I can help you on the road, if you'd like."

"Thanks!" I stood up slowly. Though my words and brain were still working fine, I didn't know how much lasting damage Validar did to my body in the Serenes Fores. _Soren. I'm sorry. It looks like I won't make it back as soon as I thought. But I promise I'll be back when I get the chance._

Chrom nodded. "Then it's settled. Jake, you're with us. Pack what you need; we leave at sunrise."

Everyone present saluted. "Sir!" Then left, leaving Robin and myself.

She looked at me, then held up a thin strip of cloth. "Does this belong to you?"

I slowly took it, nodding. "Yes. This is something I thought I lost a while back."

"We found it in your hand when you were unconscience."

I started to tie it around my eyes, then paused for a second at her words. "Really?"

"Yes. Why do you wear a blindfold?"

When I finished, I touched my fingers to the cloth. "The short version is this: the earliest memory I still have, I ashamed my cousin. On accident, of course, but still. I couldn't bear to look at him for a while after that. I was trying to convince myself that, if they can't see my eyes, they can't see my shame...or my pain. It's thin enough, so I can still see through easy."

"...I'm sorry."

It was a partial lie. Not her apology, I could feel it was heartfelt. Rather, there was something else I didn't tell her: the mark on my right eye. I knew it had some importance, but I had a feeling I should keep it secret. _Although... She hesitated before saying 'sorry', even though she had nothing to do with it. Can she tell I'm hiding something? Oh well, I'll find out another time._

"Well, it's starting to get late. We should go." She said. I nodded, then she realized something. "Oh my goodness! You don't have any place to rest, do you?"

I chuckled slightly. "True, but it's no big deal. So long as I can use my jacket as a cover, I can sleep anywhere. Wooden floors included."

She gave a small chuckle at my remark. "Well that's good, but I won't have you sleeping on a hard wood floor. You can sleep in Lucina's room tonight. We'll find something that works for you when we get back." And she smiled again before walking away.

"Y-yes ma'am." I said quietly, though I doubted she could hear.

_What did that smile do to me? _I know of those kind of smiles. They're the kind I miss. I've seen only a couple kinds of people ever give that smile, and they're almost always directed only at a couple certain people.

Lovers, parents and children give that smile to each other.

Suddenly, I had a strange feeling in my gut, and knew that something very bad was getting ready to happen. I tried to ignore it, and went to find Lucina's room.

When I found it, I gave a small knock, trying to be polite. After about a minute with no answer, I guessed she didn't hear, and knocked again, slightly louder. This time the door opened, and I found Lucina, staring.

"Can I help you?"

Though her words sounded polite enough, her tone sounded...off. So did her eyes. I couldn't decide what it was, but decided to try and pay more attention than usual. "Sorry to bother you, Lucina. When Miss Robin found I had no resting place, she insisted I stay here for the night."

"...Then come on in," she said, the door opening wider.

_Something is _definitely_ off..._ I feigned ignorance, and pretended not to notice her tone. It was just a touch more...menacing than it was when Robin and Chrom were around. _I wonder..._

I walked in, thanking Lucina. I noticed a light was still on next to her bed. "If I may ask-"

"-I don't need a nightlight, if that's what you're going to ask." She interrupted. Now her tone was a little darker than a moment ago, and I couldn't feign ignorance anymore.

"Sorry if I offended you, miss, but that's not what I was going to ask. I was going to ask about Chrom. He seems like a really nice guy."

"..." Lucina stayed silent, then got into her bed and started reading. The lettering was in a language I couldn't read, so I decided not to ask about it. She seemed mad enough as is.

I layed on the floor, took off my jacket, and used it like a blanket before she responded. "He's the greatest man in the world. If anything happens to him, I would die."

I looked at her, through my blindfold. "Do you love him?" I asked.

She looked at me. "I'm his daughter from the future."

I nodded. "Oh. Well that explains why you look like him. Is Miss Robin...?"

"My mother, yes." She answered, her tone returning to conversational, though it still sounded edgy.

I smiled. "Well then, I have to ask, why from the future? Aren't things good there?"

Her hand clenched to a fist, and I had a feeling I asked the wrong thing. "Sorry. You don't have to answer if you don't want."

"...Thank you. You can be up here, you know."

I chuckled softly. "Thanks for the offer, but I think I'll stay down here. I'm used to hard floors like this. Besides, wouldn't it look awkward if we shared a bed?"

She blushed lightly, which was exactly what I was hoping for. "Joking. Still, thanks but no thanks."

"Jake?" She asked quietly.

"Yes, Lucina?" I asked back.

"I'll give you one warning. If you betray us...If you let anything happens to my parents, I'll kill you."

My blood froze. Although I never intended to let anything happen to them, her words still bit deep. "I promise you, Lucina. Nothing bad will happen to them on my watch. I only live to help my friends, and other good people."

She smiled, and most of the bitter, edgy tone in her voice was gone. Most. "Okay. Then let's see what happens at Plegia tomorrow." She turned out the light.

"Good night, Lucina," I said.

"...Night."

* * *

Well that's that. Like I said earlier, this is all off the top of my head. Please let me know how I did. I don't know how long any of the other chapters will be, but I'll try not to let them be too short, at least compared to this one (even though this had several jumps through time and space). Oh, there will eventually be romance in this story, besides the obvious (Chrom x Robin). I'm leaving it up to you to decide who Jake will be with. The options are:

OC x Lucina, OC x Tharja, OC x Nowi, OC x Panne.

Normally I'd prefer Yaoi/Yuri couples, but this one needs to be hetero for future chapters (hint hint). Please review your opinion on this story and who you think Jake should be paired with. Till next time!


	2. Chapter 2

Hello all! Thanks to Rachel and pizzaherothose of you who reviewed. :) So far it looks like it'll be Jake x Lucina. Just remember that Chrom is Jake's father, as well as Lucina's, so if it _does_ take that route, this will become semi-incest. Fair warning. I'll leave a response to each person who reviewed at the end of the chapter. Well, I have nothing else to say, so let's get on with this!

* * *

**All's Fair in Love and War**

**Chapter 2**

As we said our goodnights, I could hear the Lucina's light snoring only moments later. Of course, with the day's events, I just couldn't sleep at all. I just couldn't. Lucina's words, as well as the last talk I had with Soren - where I blew him off, to try and keep him out of harm's way - still hung heavy on my mind and heart. The warnings I received today kept repeating themselves over and over again in my mind. Sure, only I could hear them, but every time they were repeated, they got louder and louder.

_Fulfil your destiny at my side._

_If anything happens...I will kill you._

_I swear...if you don't come back in one piece..._

_I will kill you!_

_I swear..!_

_If anything happens!_

It took all my inner strength not to scream because of the headache resulting from this. _I need to take a walk,_ I decided.

I got up and crept out of the room, trying really hard not to wake Lucina. As I passed by her, I glanced over at her. I noticed that she looked quite peaceful. I'd even say she looked cute, if not for the death threat I received only hours ago from her. Then I noticed something was wrong.

_Does Lucina always sweat when she's sleeping? She looks like she's struggling with something._

Indeed, her face was different. Her jaw was clenched, and her eyes were closed really tight. _Is she having a nightmare?_

I didn't know how people struggled with nightmares in this world. I know it was wrong, that it was intruding in her personal space, but I had to make sure. blinking once, I placed my right hand on her forehead. Focusing my energies, I found that, indeed she was having a nightmare. The visions I was having weren't exactly enjoyable in the slightest.

_All I could see was fire. Death. Lucina holding a sword, trying to fight off an army. The army was slow, uncoordinated. They were easy targets, one at a time. The problem was that they were going after her friends, those that couldn't fight back. When Lucina defended her friend, she was struck from behind. She finally managed to shake off the slow army (were they the living dead? Glowing red eyes, slow and sluggish movements, and grunts and groans were the only sounds they made) she found herself staring at three giant red orbs. The orbs were each larger than she, and the orbs then rose into the air, and there were more. Many more, until there were about eight of them in the sky._

_A voice sounded. Whether in her mind (and through hers, mine) or with its own voice, it was impossible to tell. "So ends the human race." Now Lucina could see that the orbs were in fact eyes of a dragon. "The future is built upon the past. But your kind shall never see it!" The dragon opened its mouth, revealing several rows of extremely sharp teeth. _At this point, I couldn't remove myself from Lucina's dream if I tried_. "Your mother and father...are dead, tiny one." Lucina was sweating again, and breathing heavily. "And now it is your turn...to DIE!" With that, the dragon's head lurched forward, about to swallow a screaming Lucina whole, body and sword alike._

Lucina's eyes opened, and she bolted to an upright position. At the same time, I was sent back off the bed in shock. We were both breathing heavily, like we just ran a marathon. She looked both at me and _through_ me, as if she was still somewhat stuck in the dream. "Why..." she started. She gulped, and tried again. "Why do you look scared like that?"

I knew she was right on her question, that I looked scared. But how could I not? When I was in her dream, it was like I was right there, in her place, seeing with her eyes. It just seemed like I was the one fighting the living dead; that I was the one about to be swallowed by that dragon. I closed my eyes, even though she couldn't see them through my blindfold, before I answered. "I..."

I wasn't sure _how_ to answer. I had to tell her the truth, but I also needed to stretch it slightly. "I couldn't sleep. I'm haunted by a recent past. I got up to try and walk to clear my head, but you looked like you were having a bad dream. I tried to shake you and call your name to wake you, but you didn't wake. As a last resort, I tried to scan the dream you were having, so I could try and wake you. I guess I got stuck in it until..." I trailed off. I couldn't say 'until you got eaten', after all.

"...Why did you do that? Why did you enter my mind?" It was back, that accusing tone. Maybe it was my imagination, but this time her voice sounded...darker than earlier. It was like she was starting to hate me now. I knew that I made a mistake, no matter how good my intentions were.

"I'm sorry," I muttered. "I didn't know what else to do. Would you rather I just left you there, to suffer that nightmare?"

"Well you could've told someone, right?!" She demanded.

I stood up and was finally able to stop panting as much. I walked closer to her, slowly. "I don't know. But I knew I had to do something. Like I said earlier, I live only to help my friends. I didn't know what else to do; I only acted on instinct. If you hate me for that, I'm sorry, and I beg forgiveness. But now I have to ask. What _was_ that thing?"

She closed her eyes and didn't answer. When she opened them, I gasped at what I saw.

Now she seemed to have forgotten her earlier answer, and simply asked, "What?"

In response, I took off my blindfold and pointed to my left eye. That's when she noticed. She placed a hand just under her own eye. "Is that...the same mark?"

I nodded. "I believe so. That doesn't...make us siblings, does it?" I knew it was true, but I didn't want to say it. Not yet. _If Chrom is a father to both me and Lucina...then I have_ two_ half-siblings? Lucina and Soren?_ I didn't want to say it, because I didn't want to admit it. Not when I thought I started to have feelings for the girl. It's just wrong. _Sure, I may just think she's cute now, but that could open up new feelings. That's usually how it goes._

"I...don't know." Now things were just getting weird. I put my blindfold back on and returned to the topic at hand. "So, um, what was that thing in the dream?"

"...Grima. The dragon-God of Destruction."

I gasped lightly. _Grima...Where have I heard that_ name? That's when I remembered. That was something I was hearing right before Chrom and Robin woke me up. Also, Validar's spell was called Grima's Truth. "Grima...Wait, was that your future? I get it now, you came back in time to prevent Chrom from being killed, and to stop Grima from destroying the world...right?"

She nodded. "Yeah, but I don't trust anyone who tries to get close to him. In my time, he was betrayed and murdered...by the person closest to him."

"Who?" I needed to know. If we knew, then we could stop it before it happens...right?

"...I can't say. I just can't. Not yet." Now a tear fell from her face. Her knees buckled, and she fell, crying.

I was by her side in a heartbeat. I placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to whisper words of comfort. "Hey, relax. It's alright. He's still around. He'll always be around."

"H-how do you... *sniff* know?" She choked through her tears.

_The girl is really unsteady. No wonder she's short tempered, especially if she's always having nightmares like that._ I didn't know for sure how to help her, but I had to try. She'd be even worse than I thought if I was right - if she was always dreaming of her ruined future, yet able to hide it and act fine around Chrom and Robin. "Well, in your future, was I around?"

She shook her head after a moment. "N-no..."

I tried stroking her hair to help her calm down. "There we go. That's all I needed to know. I may not be the best out there, but I know I can be a huge help. So can you trust me to help you guys?"

She nodded, and her tears slowed, but she couldn't stop altogether, and lost her voice for a moment. I closed my eyes again, still stroking her hair. Then an idea came to me. "Lucina?"

"..Y-yes?"

"I can put you in an enchanted sleep, if you like. You can sleep as long as you need, and I can almost guarantee you won't have those nightmares again."

"How?" Her voice was getting steady again. A good sign.

I gave a small smile. "I've been around, to many places. It's something I learned on my travels."

She nodded. "Okay, I guess...we can try."

"Okay, here goes. Close your eyes." She did so, and I placed my hands together and focused the energies I gained in Konoha. "Feather Illusion Jutsu," I whispered. I tapped her forehead with my front two fingers, and she fell limp into my arms. I picked her up and placed her on the bed, making sure she was comfortable before walking to the door.

_Wait...something's not quite right._ I could sense someone on the other side. Maybe it was my long day's events, and how tired I was, but I should've sensed...whoever it was...sooner than this. I opened the door to see a woman.

"Miss Robin?" I asked.

She nodded. "Just Robin, please. I was...just checking on Lucina."

I chuckled. "Why do I get the feeling there was something else?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"She told me, Robin. She told me she's your daughter from the future. So I can kind of guess that you were being a good mom, making sure I wasn't...you know...doing anything bad to her."

Her lips tightened. "That's true. Sorry if I don't fully trust you. But what did you do to her a second ago? And why?"

I hesitated a small moment. As I learned shortly after receiving my Keyblades, I learned that the world order must be kept; people can't learn that there are other worlds out there. "If you saw what I did, then I'm sure you heard what happened beforehand. She was having a bad dream. I merely comforted her and put her in an enchanted sleep so she wouldn't suffer it for the rest of the night... With her permission, of course."

She nodded. I had the feeling she knew that was the truth, just not the whole truth. However, she responded only to my words. "I see. Thank you." She smiled that same smile she gave earlier. "Well I suppose this is goodnight. For real, this time."

I smiled back. "Goodnight." With that, we walked away. I knew I would be unable to sleep, but at least I could make an effort to pretend.

/\/\/\ Meanwhile, in Tellius /\/\/\

{A/N: third person PoV, following Soren, about the same time Jake put Lucina to sleep.}

Soren had trouble sleeping that night. He lay in his tent, staring at the ceiling. Ike lay sound asleep right next to him. Micaiah and Sothe slept on his other side. As the two great heroes in the last war (and the battle against the Forces of Order), Ike and Micaiah received the largest tent whenever they all came together like this. Soren and Sothe were with them because of the roles they played.

Soren was Ike's ultimate strategist. They wouldn't have won any of their wars, especially the Mad King's War, without him. It was only natural that Soren would be the one to accompany Ike. However, there was a secret reason: Ike and Soren were together, in that special way. It had never been formalized or even public knowledge, of course. After all, Tellius still had much bias to move past before they could make it public. Right now, homosexuals had a tendency to be thrown into the same category as Laguz and Branded: less than human. Even the great Ike, whom everyone - boy or girl, young or old, rich or poor - respected and admired, would lose everything if the public knew... Not that it stopped them from being together in private.

Sothe, on the other hand, was a constant companion to Micaiah. He seemed to Soren like more of a big-brother (even though Micaiah was the older one) to her. Indeed, when they were mere freedom fighters known as the Dawn Brigade, they even put a sibling-charade up, though few fell for it. After all, who would believe Micaiah and Sothe were siblings? Sothe looked like he would be closer related to Boyd, Rolf and Oscar. Micaiah was the Silver-Haired Maiden, as well. Besides, even Soren couldn't tell for certain, although he had a funny feeling that Micaiah and Sothe each had those feelings for other people, of the same gender. The way Sothe tends to act around Tormod, and how Micaiah acts around Mia, told Soren there was easily something more.

All that being said, they rarely, if ever, actually _did_ anything, but each 'couple' did love each other; at least as far as Soren could tell. So Ike, Sothe and Micaiah were all sleeping, while Soren lay wide awake, unable to shake what happened only twenty-four hours ago. His own _brother_ just disappeared, chasing a mystery man with claims of knowledge to Jake's past.

Of course, Soren heavily doubted that, but Jake wouldn't listen to reason - that he should get help. If not from his own brother, then from the great heroes, at least. And as soon as Jake entered the Serenes Forest, Soren had a feeling it would be a while before they were reunited again. He decided to get up and take a walk, hoping the fresh air would do him some good.

When he left the tent, he sensed someone nearby. He turned, holding his Goddess-blessed Rexcalibur tome at the ready, just in case it was a person of malicious intent. "Who's there?" Soren asked. In the shadows, Soren could see a slender frame, and guessed who he was looking at. Despite himself, he allowed a smile, albeit a very small one. "Hello Mia."

"Soren. Don't you ever sleep?" The girl teased. Soren shrugged. "Not lately."

Mia sat down on a nearby log and gestured for Soren to do the same. He had no reason to refuse, so he sat down. "Do you need something Mia?"

The swordswoman shrugged. "I was just checking on Micaiah is all."

Soren allowed a small chuckle. "Be careful what you say. If word gets around camp -"

"Like with you and Ike?" She interrupted.

Soren bit his lip. "Fair enough... Still."

"I know, I know. Don't let any soldiers or citizens know, else we risk ruining the names of the Dawn Brigade and the Greil Mercenaries. I know." She heard this from both Soren and Micaiah time and time again.

"It'll take a while, but hopefully there will come a day when everyone, even homos like us, even Branded like me, will be accepted."

Mia laughed lightly, trying to stay quiet. "That doesn't sound like you."

"...A guy can dream, right?"

She shrugged. "What about Jake?"

Soren closed his eyes for a second, trying to sound like his normal, almost cold-hearted self. "What about him? He went off to rediscover his past. He insisted we all let him go alone."

"What? Doesn't he trust us? We can help him. He should have at least let one of us go along, right?"

Soren nodded, trying to decide how much more to tell her. After all, Jake did only ask that he keep it a secret. He's already starting to tell too much. Still... "I'm not so sure it's a matter of trust. I spoke to him before he left, and I think that, when he lost his memory, he lost a lot of his confidence. I'm pretty sure he just needs to make sure he can still take care of himself."

"Do you even know if he's safe?"

Soren shrugged. "Does it matter if I know? As long as he's alive and well. Besides, we wouldn't be able to find him if we tried."

"Why?" Mia looked almost as concerned as Soren secretly felt. But even if he wanted to, Soren didn't know how to 'show' how concerned he was for his brother. The only thing he knew _how_ to do is to keep his word, which meant keeping Mia - or anyone else - from going to look for him. "Well, he's strong enough to take care of himself. Don't forget, he's extremely talented, and he did recently save my life."

"Seriously? Are you just trying to wave me off?"

Soren shook his head. "Nope. But it _is_ getting late. You should go to sleep, too. And don't worry. Micaiah's in good hands."

Mia gave him a questioning look, and Soren specified. "She's with Ike, Sothe, and myself, remember?"

The girl sighed. "Very well. But we do need to keep an eye out for him, right? He's one of us."

Soren nodded and stood up, not wanting their chat to drag on about Jake any longer than it needed to. Mia stood up and stared at Soren, shaking her head and wondering what happened to him.

After all, Soren was...well, Soren. He was a brilliant strategist, and only trusted Ike and his father, Greil. It was that was since he first joined their mercenary company. When Greil died, Soren only trusted Ike. He was the reason why Soren stayed this whole time. Now it seems like he actually cares for others. Micaiah and Jake were just two examples.

She shrugged to herself, figured that she was just thinking too hard, and returned to her tent, where Ike's sister Mist slept comfortably. Mia lay down beside her and _slowly_ drifted off, her thoughts constantly returning to the Silver Haired Maiden.

* * *

Well that's that. I was hoping this chapter could be a little longer, but I ran out of ideas. I didn't feel like sudden page breaks to skip time (i.e when everyone's sleeping) would work out very well, so I figure I'll make it this way and see how it works.

Now for the review responses:

Rachel: Thank you for saying it's interesting. And as said at the top (and this goes to all the others who would like Jake x Lucina) if it does take that route, it would end up becoming incest. After all, Chrom is a future-father to both Jake and Lucina. However, I did have her as an option, so I will make it so.

Pizzahero: Thank you for liking it. I'm glad I have some fans out there :) Lucina seems to be a popular girl out in Fandom :D (does it have anything to do with the fact she called herself Marth for a nice chunk of the game?)

Pikayoshi: Honestly, Nowi's my favorite out of those three. Lucina strike's me as over-protective (I get why, but still); Tharja is a bit too dark for my personal preference; Nowi is just so play-now-work-later. I really like all three of them, but Nowi is my favorite. However, I'll still follow a majority vote (if it ends up being a tie...well, I'll find something to make it work out)

Rachel (again): I'm glad you couldn't wait :D and one purpose of the 'review' button is to leave opinions/suggestions, and I'm still somewhat new as a FanFiction writer (about 5 months, and it hasn't been regular updates), so I'd take as many suggestions/advice as possible :D and as much as I'd enjoy putting Priam in this fic, I haven't yet been able to download his map. Can anyone tell me how to do so? I agree, that _would_ be interesting.

Bri333865: Again, I'm glad you like this. Although (and I'm sorry to disappoint you) there isn't a Kingdom Hearts story to this (yet). It's not a series, although I could make it one, given time. The back-story in Chapter 1 was mainly to give an idea of what made him make the choices he made. Like I said, I could probably work on making it a series. Tied to the Scattered was actually originally in my Truth or Dare fic

You know the drill. The more reviews, the faster I can update (hence why this came quicker than I expected, with 5 reviews in only a couple days. Thank you!) So please, review your opinions, then (if you so wish) a vote on who Jake should end up with.


	3. Chapter 3

Welcome back! This is a record for me. Only one week, two chapters, yet 8 reviews! Thank you :) Small note: as Tharja, Nowi, and Panne have not yet been introduced, Jack will only try to be friends with all four, at least until the right chapter where the romance starts (which will be when the voting ends). However, as this is all off the top of my head, I don't have a clue as to when that will be. I will also include a voting count at the start of each chapter. Here's the ratings so far:

Tharja - 0  
Panne - 0  
Nowi - 3  
Lucina - 3

The sister and dragon are tied! Well without further ado, let's continue our story.

* * *

**All's Fair in Love and War**

**Chapter 3**

I still could not sleep, though I was able to pass the time. I was focusing my energies on keeping my Feather Illusion active on Lucina. However, there was a downside. If Lucina was having visions - in her case, nightmares - I receive them instead. I knew that, if I told her about this, she wouldn't let me put her in this enchanted sleep. Thus, my night was filled with silent pain as I kept seeing Lucina's future world being destroyed, over and over again.

When I heard movement going on outside the room, I looked outside and saw the sun starting to rise. Guessing that it was time we all got ready to go to Plegia, I released my Jutsu and shook Lucina gently. Her eyes opened, and - holy crap - she smiled at me. "Hey," she said, sitting up and stretching. I smiled back. "Sleep well?"

She nodded. "Best sleep I've had in a long time." She looked at me, then seemed to notice something. "What about you? You look exhausted."

I shrugged. "I couldn't sleep at all."

"I'm sorry." She said.

I laughed lightly. "No big deal. Let's go, shall we?"

She nodded and we walked out into the main room, where a lot of other people were gathered. Chrom looked at me. "Oh yes, I nearly forgot to introduce you. Everyone, this is Jake. He'll be travelling with us for a while. His memory was lost recently, like Robin, so don't mind him if he says anything odd. Jake, these are the Shepherds. You've already met Frederick, my advisor. Here's my sister Lissa, Sully, Stahl, Vaike, Miriel, Sumia, Ricken, Maribelle, and my son, Morgan." He made the introductions short, for which I was glad.

I smiled, then noticed a suit of armor in the corner. I thought I saw a head, but couldn't be sure. "In the corner," I asked. "Is there another person?"

Everyone looked where I gestured, then looked surprised. "Sorry Kellam," Chrom said. Kellam nodded to Chrom, then looked at me. "I'm surprised you noticed me. Normally it takes hours before anyone can see me."

I tilted my head, a thought already coming to mind. "Is that right? Then why do you need that armor?"

"Just in case someone swings wildly. It's happened before."

I looked around at the other Shepherds' reactions. They seemed confused, like they have no idea what Kellam was talking about. _Either he's lying about someone swinging wildly, or it's true that no one ever notices him. Both conclusions sound like horse-crap to me, but stranger things have happened..._

"Chrom," I said, unable to say 'father' - I prefered facts to guesses; and right now the only way I can be sure I'm his son is by taking Validar's word for it. "May I have a private word please?" I took off my blindfold, to make sure he knew I was looking him in the eye.

"Uh...Sure."

We walked to an empty room - I was careful to avoid Lucina's gaze, remembering everything she told me last night. _Chrom will be killed by someone close to him...Who?_ Lucina won't ('can't', she said) tell anyone who the murderer is, so all I can do is the same thing she's doing: be wary of anyone who tries to be close to him. Of course, a few names came to mind, though I brushed them all off. Robin, Lucina, Morgan and Lissa all came to mind, but they were all family. Why would any of them kill Chrom? _Wait...Robin's hand has the same marking mine has. Not the mark of the Branded, but the other one...She's not Validar's daughter...is she?_ Of course, that would make things...odd, to say the least.

"So, what do you want?"

I realized I was looking down. I was so lost in my thoughts, I didn't notice we were already in the room, and Chrom was patiently waiting for me to speak. "Sorry, I was thinking." Like Lucina, there is no way I can tell Chrom that he's going to be murdered. "The way you spoke yesterday, it sounds like you're preparing for war with Plegia. Is that so?"

The man nodded. "We've already been through two very recent wars, so I'd prefer if we were at peace. However, it's like you said. Validar doesn't strike me as honorable. Do you know of the Risen?"

"Risen?" I asked with a blank expression. I really didn't know what he was talking about.

"Yes, the Risen. They are the walking dead. Corpses reanimated by dark magic. I fear Validar may be creating them to hound us, even though we're trying to stop Grima...you do know of Grima, right?"

I nodded. "Yes." _That army that Lucina fought, in her future and that dream...those were the Risen?_

"If I'm right, Validar may be trying to revive Grima. We must be prepared for the worst."

"So, let me get this straight. If you're right, then we're about to go to war with Plegia. Everyone out there," I pointed to the main room, where everyone was gathered, "do they make up the entirety of the Shepherds?"

He nodded, then understood where I was getting at. "Yes, they are the entirety of the Shepherds, but no, they are not our entire force. We have many more waiting near Ylisstol's border."

"Ylisstol...that's the nation we stand in now?" I asked, trying to make sure I had at least a basic understanding of the continent.

Chrom nodded again. "Yes. Are you not from Ylisse at all?"

I tilted my head with the same blank expression. "Wait, if Ylisstol is a country, then Ylisse is...the capital?"

The man in front of me sighed. "No. Ylisse is the entire continent."

"Oh. Sorry, my memory is pretty selective." Another half-truth. My memory does suck, and it doesn't help that I had lost my entire memory until around last year, but I still can't say I'm from another world. Personally, I thought it was quite arrogant to name the country after the entire continent, but I didn't voice _that_ particular opinion.

"It's alright, Jake. Is that all?" He asked, pulling me out of my thoughts. I nodded, and he smiled. "Alright, then let's go."

With that, we returned to the main room of the place I assumed was the Shepherd's base, or home, or headquarters, or whatever name they preferred. All eyes found us, especially Lucina's. She still had that suspisious glare, but relaxed somewhat when she saw Chrom was just fine. Without another word, we all left on a serious note. Careful, optimistic, yet very serious.

When we arrived at Ylisstol's border, I found that Chrom was right: there were more of Chrom's forces waiting. Many more. I could see a few faces, but most had their faces covered in helmets. Yet, I knew they were all loyal to Chrom because their armor, clothes or flags had the same marking that was on Chrom's arm. Through my adventures, I was able to sense people's potentials and abilities. It's how I noticed Kellam earlier. I didn't see him, but I sensed his potential. I think he would make a good thief. After all, if someone can shout names and fight, without anyone - friend or foe - noticing, that can get them places...If they know where to go.

Anyway, I sensed a few potentials that stood out, above and beyond the rest. I sensed a girl who looked more like a stage dancer than a fighter. However, I could feel she could be nearly anything she wanted. I saw a sword strapped to her belt. I also sensed someone - boy or girl, I could not tell - who practically glowed with an aura. I could feel that aura was full of diety, of his faith. This person had an ax in one hand, a staff in the other.

I sensed two females who's presenses were out of the ordinary, at least among human standards. They carried no weapons that I could see - and we were getting very near the army. I sensed firy passion, as well as a burning desire for revenge in one, while the other had a carefree attitude that practically beamed optimism. The former felt quite familiar to me. I recalled the laguz injustice, back in Tellius. I silently hoped that she - they - didn't suffer as laguz suffered.

Finally, I sensed one other person who's presense unnerved me. I couldn't place my finger on it, but I sensed darkness from her. Not necessarily evil, but intense darkness nonetheless.

That being said, I could feel that all five of them could easily reach any goals they set. I had a feeling that at least at least two of them in particular, as well as another girl nearby, would be unthinkably important to Ylisse's future. Even more than Chrom and Robin themselves.

"Hello, everyone," Chrom said to the army. "Thank you all for gathering on such short notice. We're heading to Plegia to search for a way to prevent Grima from returning. I can only hope that King Validar will help us."

I gulped behind him. _Don't count on it. I could swear I sensed something dark...something evil inside him._ I didn't want to admit it, but his darkness felt similar to my own. Of course, _my_ darkness was balanced by my light, but still...it unnerved me.

"That being said, I must ask you to lend me your strength," Chrom continued. "If we fail, Grima will be revived, and this world's future will likely perish. However, if we succeed, we'll not have to worry about any of that. So will you lend me the courage that helped us win our previous wars? Will you join me again?"

I have to admit, I was moved by his small speech. From the way the army cheered, I guessed they all were, too. I smiled and looked to the Shepherds, and saw that they all had similar reactions to me. However, I saw a tear on a certain lady's cheek, and her jaw was clenching.

"Then let's move out!" Chrom finished, his fist flying into the air for emphasis. Everyone cheered louder and began to march west. I looked to Lucina before we followed. "Hey," I said softly. I looked around to make sure no one was listening, though I kept an eye on the Shepherds and the army, to make sure we wouldn't be left _too _far behind. "Lucina?"

"Yes..?" She whispered, holding back more tears. I closed my eyes for a second, and put my blindfold back on. When I my eyes opened, my vision was changed very little. I placed a hand on Lucina's shoulder. "I think I know what you meant last night, when you spoke about Chrom. Indeed, if he dies, the world _will_ be robbed of a great man." My heart ached at the thought. I could only imagine the effect it had on Lucina. I had to cheer her up, at least a little. "I promise you again, I'll do everything in my power to keep...your father...alive."

That was close. I almost said 'our father', which would've made things awkward. Nonetheless, she smiled and whispered, "Thank you." I smiled back and sensed something behind me. I turned around and threw my arm out, as if protecting Lucina from whatever could be out there...not that she really needs protecting. "Who's there?" I asked loudly.

That's when I saw a blue portal opening, and I was shocked at who I saw.

/\/\/ Back in Tellius \/\/\

{Back up the clock about 2 minutes. We're switching to third person view, following Ike, Soren, and Micaiah.}

Soren still couldn't sleep, despite his refreshing chat with Mia. However, he knew Ike and Micaiah, more than anyone, would worry themselves to death if they found he was losing sleep over his brother. Thus, he managed to appear just fine...or as close to fine as he could be. When he told Ike and Micaiah, they both showed a lot of concern. Micaiah asked the one question on all three of their minds: "Is he okay, do you think?"

None of them knew for sure. All three of them had some idea of how important this must have been for Jake; each of them had at least one different idea why.

Micaiah knew he wouldn't run off like this; he helped Daein's emancipation, after all. He took an injury during the initial battle with Begnion and refused to let Micaiah heal it. From then until he healed naturally, he took to being a behind the scenes strategist. Indeed, he was perhaps as important to Daein's freedom as the rest of the Dawn Brigade and King Pelleas.

Ike knew it because of how honorable Jake was. He never went back on his promise. He's proven that when King Tibarn and Queen Elincia's army advanced toward the Tower of Guidance - Ranulf spoke of how the boy kept morale high, despite the group's growing worry about having to fight the very goddess that they praised for so many centuries. Futhermore, Jake got got Ike to agree to train him in swords, just two days ago.

Soren knew this simply because they were brothers, if nothing else. After all, the only people whom Soren ever lost arguments with were Ike and Jake. Jake made it quite clear to Soren that he only wanted to support his friends, and now his brother. For him to just leave it all behind must have been difficult for him; at least Soren would hope.

"He has to be," Ike answered, trying to sound more confidence in his answer than any of the three felt.

"How can you be sure?" Soren asked.

Ike shook his head. "I'm not. But right now, he's out of our reach. I have a feeling we'll see him before too long."

He was about to say something else, but Soren pointed behind Micaiah. "Look. What's that?"

The two heroes of Tellius looked to where the wind mage pointed. It looked like a doorway of pure energy was forming. Soren and Micaiah nodded to each other, each thinking the same thing.

"What is it?" Ike asked. He could see it, but that was all. Unlike the two mages next to him, the swordsman could not sense anything there.

Soren looked to his secret lover. "I think you were right. Sooner than we think."

"Soren, you sense that, too?" Micaiah asked. Soren nodded. "Then...wherever that leads, we'll find him."

Without another word, Ike, Micaiah and Soren ran toward the portal.

/\/\/ Present time, in Ylisse \/\/\

{Back to Jake's POV}

"Soren! Ike! Micaiah! What are you three doing here?" I asked excitedly.

The trio stood up and dusted themselves off. "Good question," Ike said. "We were just talking about how to find you, then this happened." Soren and Micaiah nodded their confirmation.

"Did you put that portal there?" Soren asked me. I shook my head. "No, I thought you did that somehow."

"Don't be silly," Micaiah responded. "If we could do that, we wouldn't have had to travel all across Tellius all the time."

I shrugged. "Very true."

"Ahem," came Lucina's voice behind me. "Who are they?"

"I'm his brother," Soren said to her, sounding like his usual self. For some reason, I couldn't understand how Soren could talk like that; his words and tone so opposite.

"His brother?" She asked, a shocked expression on her face. I put two and two together, and realized how messed up everything was getting. Soren nodded. "Who're you? His sister or something?"

Though his tone was both mocking and sarcastic, his words couldn't be more true. I nodded. "Actually...she is."

Now everyone looked at me. I took off my blindfold and both my gloves. "I just realized something. Look at my eye, and the marks on my hands. Tell me how much of me, resembles you guys."

Soren understood, quicker than the rest - in only a moment's glance. "Wait...her eye...it's the same as yours. And the marks on your hands..."

Micaiah gasped and took her own right glove off, revealing an identical Brand.

"How can all this be..." I whispered. "I'm Soren's, and Lucina's, brother... Micaiah and I have the same Brand... and I was just about to become Ike's apprentice in swordsmanship."

"Just who are you...?" Lucina whispered, barely audible. I shook my head. "Wait a second. If you guys are here, and nobody put up that portal, then how are you going to get back to Tellius?"

The trio in front of me looked horrified. Well, Soren didn't look as bad, but I could tell he was pretty nervous, too. Micaiah tried to recover. "Well, Pelleas can cover for me in Daein, but..."

I laughed lightly, even though it was no joke. "What about the Greil Mercenaries? And more specifically to you, what about Mia and Sothe?"

Her eyes widened lightly. "What do you mean?" She asked defensively.

I shrugged. "I know you're with Mia," I teased, then took a more serious tone. "But you know Sothe. He won't rest until you're back. He did promise to protect you, right?"

Micaiah stayed silent and closed her eyes.

"Uh, Jake?" Lucina asked. I looked at her. "What is it?"

"Is it just me, or did we get left behind?" My jaw dropped as I realized she was right. I shook my head. "Well this sucks." I turned to the trio from Tellius. "Until we can get you home, looks like you're stuck with us," I teased.

Soren raised an eyebrow. "'Us'? As in, not you?"

I sighed, then shrugged. "Honestly, I don't know. I _do_ know that I have to help them here. Tellius is fine without me right now, but Ylisse...not so much." I turned to Lucina. "Shall we return to the group?"

She nodded, and the five of us started walking west. I noted how Lucina seemed to be a bit...softer towards me, than she was yesterday. Sure, she felt uneasy around Ike, Soren, and Micaiah, but I couldn't really blame her for that. _Even if we are siblings...I think I'm feeling something more for her._ My thought track returned to earlier. _If Robin is Validar's daughter, and _her_ daughter, Lucina, is my sister...is Lucina my niece as well?_ If I did have feelings for her - which I think I do - then this could get very weird...

Nonetheless, I kept those thoughts to myself as we neared camp. I could vaguely see the small flags of Ylisstol being posted up. We quickened our pace. _Hopefully Validar will help us._ I kept this hope in my heart, despite remembering what he said just before I was brought here: _You will fulfil your destiny at my side._

* * *

Sorry that took longer than expected. I've been quite busy as of late. Review please! :) Cyber-cookies available! Oh, almost forgot the review responses:

Rachel: Thanks for the info on Priam (fingers crossed!), and alright, your vote has been changed to Nowi. Gotta say, thanks for being a regular reviewer; that's what I'm talking about when I say reviews help motivate me to do better on my fics :D

jak3615: Thanks for the input :)

SailorMint: Nah as Jake's kid? That would be strange, considering the family tree :D and also considering how different Nah, Jake, and Nowi are. Interesting though! And I agree, I haven't found _any_ fics that cross Fire Emblem with itself (i.e Sacred Stones with Radiant Dawn); if anyone can tell me where to find one, please do! Many thanks in advance! :D

Gunlord500: I've read mostly yaoi/yuri fics (more yaoi than anything), so I'd like to say I have a solid understanding of how to do that xD but - as you can see - there is yaoi/yuri here, just not for the OC (sorry Jake!) And I went back and re-read just how much I've given him during his creation, and I think I've overdone it a little. I think I'll probably get rid of the DBZ and possibly make him lose the Keyblades; hopefully re-balance him out :D


	4. Chapter 4

Hello! Let's start on the next chapter! But first, the current vote standings:

Tharja - 0  
Panne - 0  
Nowi - 4  
Lucina - 4

They are still tied, with Panne and Tharja having no supporters! :D and this chapter will finally have Jake starting to interact with Tharja, Panne and Nowi (or at least try to)

* * *

All eyes found us as we returned. Upon seeing us, Chrom's expression became a bit more relaxed than it was moments ago.

When we re-entered camp, Robin did the obvious thing any protective mother would do: ask Lucina if she's alright, where'd she go, that kind of thing. Chrom merely asked us if we were alright, then asked me for a private word, to which I agreed, if Micaiah, Ike and Soren could come along as well. Chrom thought for a second, then agreed.

Upon entering the tent, Chrom sighed. "Alright, now I've seen everything. Jake, I need you to tell me: who are you?"

_Crap,_ I thought. _I can't tell him about the other worlds, but now that Ike and Micaiah are here, there's not really much choice..._ There really wasn't. As soon as we entered camp, there were whispers flying around faster than a forest fire. _"Is that the hero Ike?" "The Silver Haired Maiden, Micaiah?" "How are they here?"_

I took a deep breath. "Alright. Chrom, what I'm going to tell you is top secret, alright?"

The leader of the Shepherds looked a little suspicious, but nodded. "Thank you," I said. "Now, I don't know very much about Ylisse, but I can say this: Validar is planning something big."

"What do you mean?" Chrom asked. I was about to answer, but Soren intervened. "Who's Validar?"

"King of Plegia," I answered. "The country we're travelling to. And..." I blinked, then looked at Chrom. "Alright, this is really hard for me to explain, and I'd prefer to explain only once. The guy who I was chasing, before I came to Ylisse. The guy whose memories I scanned, letting me know who you are, Chrom. That man, is Validar. I just figured it out."

"What?! What would he want with you?" The man demanded. I shook my head. "I can only imagine. I'm putting the pieces together as we speak, and things aren't looking that good."

Micaiah placed a hand on my arm. "We can stop it, right?"

I looked down. "I don't know. Chrom, when I scanned Validar's memories, there's something I found out. I didn't want to tell you until I knew for sure, but...now may be the only time. A while back, Validar used some form of sorcery - whatever the kind, I don't want to know. Anyway, he forced three people's spirits to procreate. Chrom, you are one of them. Validar is a second." I turned to Micaiah. "Queen Almedha is the third...and I am the result."

All eyes widened in shock. I didn't want to believe my own words, but they were out. Chrom started to piece things together, as well. At least, the Ylissean side of it. "Wait, if Validar's your father, then...you're Robin's brother?"

I nodded, and he continued. "Then, if I'm...your father, too..." He was visibly disturbed in saying that, not that I could blame him. "Then Lucina is both your sister...and niece?"

I felt a small tear start to form. I closed my eyes for a moment. "Yes. I have proof of this claim, loathe as I am to admit it." I ungloved my hand, to show my mark of the Branded, and opened my eyes. "Chrom, look at this marking. It is proof of mixed blood in my veins. In Tellius, we have people who can shapeshift to fight, known as Laguz. If a Laguz and human have a child, a part of the Laguz's power gets transfered to the child. He or she ages slower, and is gifted in battle. Queen Almedha is - or was - a Laguz. One of the strongest, at that. A princess of the Black Dragon Tribe. She's Soren's mother, too."

At that confession, the Tellius trio stared at me, shocked again. "What?!" Came the unified response.

I turned to them. "When we finished in the Tower of Guidance, I heard Almedha tell that to Kurth, after she had a short word with you, Soren." I turned back to Chrom. "That's my proof of Almedha. As for Validar..." I slid my other glove off, to show a purple marking that could easily be mistaken for a tattoo. "Robin has the same mark on her hand, does she not?" Chrom nodded slowly, and I gave the last bit of proof. "Finally, my proof that you're my father. Look in my eyes, and tell me if you see something to resemble Lucina."

Chrom did so, and understood in only a short moment. "Gods! How can this be?"

I put my gloves and blindfold back on, then looked down. "I don't know. But now that I spoke this confession, I know it to be true."

"...So now what?" Chrom asked. "Are you going to Validar's side? If you are, I give you one warning: leave now."

Up until now, Ike has stayed fairly silent, but I don't think he could hold it in any longer. "There's no way he would! Even if this is true, Jake is still Jake. I don't care what kind of heritage he has. It's the same with the Laguz, and the Branded. At the end of the day, we're all people."

I allowed myself a small smile at Ike's words. "Thank you." I said quietly. Chrom decided, for whatever reason, to change the subject. "You said Laguz shapeshift into fights?"

We nodded, and he continued. "In Ylisse, there are people similar to that. A Manakete transforms into a dragon, while a Taguel transforms into a beast."

My eyes widened lightly. _Then that's what I sensed earlier. I sensed the Taguel and the Manakete._ "Are they treated as equals to humans?" I asked. Chrom shook his head. "Unfortunately, no. To my knowledge, Panne is the last remaining Taguel, and I only know of two Manaketes: Nowi, who is in this army, and Tiki, the voice of the goddess, Naga."

I nodded. "Thanks. That's what I needed to know." I turned to leave, before Micaiah stopped me. "Where are you going?"

I shrugged. "I need to make sure I'm not like Validar. I need to know if I can be trusted, here in this army." _And I want to leave before I accidentally reveal the truth about the other worlds._

"I trust you, so does my family," Chrom said. "Is that not enough for you?"

I hesitated in answering. "Trust is very valuable to me, Chrom...father. I'm glad I have yours, and Robin's, and I hope I have Lucina's. However, are we not all in this possible war together? We all need to trust one another. Every one of us."

Micaiah nodded her agreement. Chrom did too, after a moment. "I understand. Just remember that you're one of us, too."

I chuckled quietly. "Thank you." Then left the tent, extending my senses to find a certain Manakete. I found the same carefree personality that I sensed earlier, and I hoped that she was Nowi.

I followed where the sense led me, until I was about to enter the forest nearby. I called out quietly, "Is anybody in there?"

No response, but I still sensed it in there. Not too deep, so I shouldn't have any trouble. I walked in.

In the back of my mind, I was vaguely aware of how similar this forest was to Tellius' Serenes Forest. I thought back to about two days ago, when I chased the shadowy figure into said Forest. I lept over a root, as i did in Tellius.

Just as before, there was someone there to make me fall. As soon as my feet left the ground, a small blonde girl hanged upside down on a low tree branch. Whereas Validar catching me was a painful arm to the chest, this was more of a shock and near heart attack. Either way, I still fell back with a shout. Out of instinct alone, I reached for a pool of energy near my heart, and a small flash of light appeared in my hand.

I didn't feel anything, and when I looked at my hand, I didn't see the weapon that was supposed to appear. _Where's my Keyblade?_

"You were that easy to get?" Came the female voice, with a silly tone. "If it was that easy, then I'm going to have some fun with you!" She jumped down, and I saw that she was short. Indeed, she had the appearance of a ten year old. Even so, I had a feeling that there was far more to her than meets the eye. _After all, Branded and Laguz age extremely slowly. If Manaketes and Taguel are similar, then she's probably pretty old...even though she's acting like a child, too._

"Haha, yeah, you got me," I said, laughing off my shock. "What's your name?"

"Nowi. And yours?" She asked.

_I knew it. But if she's like this...is she really a dragon?_ "I'm Jake. Tell me something, please? Are you always like this?"

"If by 'like this' you mean trying to have fun, then yes." She replied simply. I laughed lightly. "Are you a Manakete?"

She nodded. "You're the new guy, aren't you?"

I nodded back. "Yes. Nowi, I would like to ask you something. I know it may cause offense; if it does, I beg forgiveness, but...how old are you?"

At my question, her eyes flared, and I didn't like it. I instantly regretted asking, but I still needed to know. "I'm sorry, but I would like to know."

"Why?"

I bit my lip lightly. "It's just...I know you're more than you appear." I shook my hands in front of my head. "Not just in age! But I mean...wow, have I screwed myself up so easily. Alright," I took a deep breath. "I came from a land called Tellius. There are people similar to Taguel and Manakete, but they're properly called Laguz. The Laguz have been enslaved and treated like dirt for centuries. I'm just trying to find out if the Taguel and Manakete were, too."

She blinked, likely debating whether she can trust my words. After a moment, she gave an answer. "Is there something else you're not telling me?"

"What?" I was taken aback. I was caught by her carefree attitude, I didn't think she'd know.

"Like I said, is there anything about this you aren't tellling me?" The odd part is that she kept smiling through our entire chat. Even when her eyes flared - she looked angry, yet somehow kept a smile on her face...which I must admit, is quite the pretty face. _No, stop it. For all you know, she _is_ just a child. That could count as pedophile._ "Well, it's hard to explain. In Tellius, if a human and Laguz procreate, and a child with mixed blood is conceived, that child is...gifted. For example, I am skilled in swords, magic, somewhat skilled in tactics, and I can sense people's presence, rather than just see them with my eyes. Furthermore, us Branded age very slowly. How old do I look?" I purposely left out how Branded tended to be treated (more like mistreated). She didn't need to know that...not yet, anyway.

Nowi studied my face for a moment, my blindfold still off my face. When she answered, it was close to what I expected: "Well, I don't know about human age standards, but I'd say you look like you're 16."

I laughed lightly. "No, I'm quite a bit older than that. I'm 33. So, if I may ask without you getting angry...?"

"I'm a bit over a thousand. And look! Not a wrinkle on my face!" She said cooly. My jaw dropped. _A thousand?! No way! She's...she's older than Dheginsea! Maybe even Ashera herself!_

The dragon girl in front of me smirked. "Didn't expect that, did you?"

Unable to speak, I merely shook my head. I closed and opened my mouth several times before words would come out. "Uh, no. Not at all. I understand Manaketes age slowly, and are long-lived, so I would've guessed around fifty. Seventy-five is as high as I would've went." A _thousand_! How is that right?

Nowi giggled. "Well, aren't you all goody-goody? People tell me I act like a kid. Like a human kid, too! Can you believe it?"

I shrugged, trying to maintain my composure. "Well...you sort of do act like a kid...not that that's a bad thing!" I added quickly. I was on thin ice, just by asking a girl what her age is. I didn't want to screw up worse. "Well, I think I'll be going, now. See you later, I guess?"

She shrugged. "I dunno. I'll just be having fun until we move out."

I smiled and nodded. "Okay. See you!" With that, I turned and left the forest before I could accidentally create any friction between Manakete and Branded. That...wouldn't end well. I decided that I should go find the Taguel, and pray I wouldn't make the same mistake.

After all, when I sensed them earlier, Nowi was the bubbly attitude I sensed, yet one little mistake, and she got pretty scary. I could only imagine how the Taguel would be...she's the one from whom I felt a burning passion, a desire for revenge...

A slight chill travelled down my spine as that sounded _quite_ familiar, from Konoha. I extended my senses, until I sensed the Taguel again, then followed the sense.

I found myself standing just outside another tent, sensing what I assumed to be the Taguel inside - Panne, Chrom called her. Slowly, hesitantly, I lifted the tent flap, and called somewhat quietly, "Hello in there?"

...

No answer. I knew she heard me; I wasn't _that_ quiet. Plus, I sensed her presense shift slightly, as if putting some kind of mental shield up. I tilted my head, then tried again. "Miss Panne, can you hear me? I would like to talk to you, if you would."

After another moment of silence, I assumed she wasn't in a social mood. I was about to leave, when I heard a 'What do you want' coming from in the tent. I turned my attention back to her. "May I come in?"

"...Fine."

I entered the tent cautiously, but tried to appear calm and collected. Panne gave a small smirk, one that I could barely see. "What do you want?" She repeated. I took a deep breath. I could feel my heart racing; I sensed that thirst for revenge in her, and it unnerved me somewhat. "Like I said, I'd like to talk to you, if you would."

"You're new around here, aren't you?" She asked.

I glanced at her. "Huh? How did you know that?"

She smirked again. "Humans don't just approach Taguel and ask to chat. I can tell you're not quite human. But I know you're not Taguel, and I know you're not Manakete. So before we start talking, tell me: what are you?"

_Ouch,_ I thought. _She's quick. That...dang, she caught _me_ off guard!_ That doesn't happen. Still, I have to answer if I'm going to gain any trust. "I'm half human. In the place I came from, there are humans, and there are shapeshifters. Similar to Taguel and Manakete, but they're called Laguz. I'm half laguz."

Panne nodded. "I see. So what did you want to know?"

"I would like to know what the Taguel were like. From what I heard, you're the last one left?"

She nodded slowly, her jaw clenching. "Sorry," I said. "But should I return to my homeland, I could make sure people remember them. If you're willing to share, that is."

She studied me for a moment, then smirked yet again. "Lesson one, Taguel have _very_ good hearing. I could hear your racing heartbeat. If you're truly willing to learn, then relax. Be at ease, else one may think you're not trustworthy."

I bowed lightly. "Thanks for the lesson, Panne. So is there...anything you'd like to share about your people? They must have been a proud race."

"Indeed, they were...until humans slaughtered them. Merciless killing, until I was the only one left, and only because I managed to get away. I should have fought, they all should have. Now that I'm the sole survivor, there are very, _very_ few man-spawn that I can trust. Emmeryn, Ylisstol's former exalt, was one of them. Chrom is another. But I don't like humans. They kill, and laugh and cheer as they do so. It makes me sick, and I won't rest until I avenge my people."

My lips parted. I was speechless. Not just by what happened, but by how similar that tale was to two other people's that I knew of. I placed a hand on Panne's shoulder, hoping to sound reassuring. "I'm so sorry to hear that."

"I trust you only because I sense the truth behind your words. You aren't like the rest, nor did you have any part in the massacre. You do not bear the blame for what was done, so do not bear the guilt."

I nodded and gave a small smile. "Still, it's just who I am. People mistake it for pity, but I just...I wish there was some way I could've helped. But Panne, please trust me, revenge will _not_ work."

"How do you know?" She snapped. I blinked, choosing my words very carefully. "Because, I need you to trust me on this, alright? I've already seen two people in the exact same position. Scratch that, one of them was in a worse position."

"How do you figure, 'in a worse position'?" She demanded.

"Okay, one of them was a Laguz. He was a prince of a peacekeeping tribe of Heron Laguz. His entire tribe was murdered by humans. The other was a human, who's entire family and clan was killed by his own older brother." I answered, trying to keep calm, despite my anger at both massacres. "That's how it was worse. At least with the Herons and Taguel, I can understand why the humans did what they did. Not when a man kills his entire clan, sparing only his brother."

By now, Panne snapped out of her hatred for humans, at least long enough to listen. When I finished, I started to regret telling her.

Her brown eyes carried much hatred. "I will destroy the man-spawn."

"Panne, listen to yourself!" I said, my voice beginning to rise. "Why condemn an entire species on the act of only a few? It's not right. If you ask me, I'd say get rid of just those responsible. Then your revenge would be complete, and you need not spill unnecessary blood."

Her fist tightened, and I could sense she was fighting internally. Her vow of complete revenge versus my advice and truth.

"You win," she finally decided. "For now. But I will not stop hating the humans."

I let out the breath I didn't even realize I was holding. "That's fine. But don't go overboard. Else you'll feel empty, rather than accomplished. Trust me on that one..."

I stayed there for a moment longer, to make sure she wasn't about to flip out about this. When I was sure she wouldn't, I turned to leave. "Well, thank you for this chat. I would like to hear more of the Taguel, if you'd like to share any tales...no pun intended." Panne gave an inaudible laugh, but I felt it still. I smirked. "See you later."

* * *

Wow, that chapter was much longer than I expected! I wanted to include Tharja's interaction, as well as the Tellius side of this chapter too, but I guess that'll have to wait til next chapter. Onto the review responses:

SoulFire741: Your vote has been counted, thank you.

Total Nerd Girl: I'm guessing you're Rachel? :D and I haven't played Sacred Stones either, it was just an example. And yeah, the family tree is weirder than _I_ pictured :D oh, and Path of Radiance is simply the prequel to Radiant Dawn

bri333865: I need to rebalance him somehow :D I'm thinking he may get them back eventually, but I'm not certain. I'm glad you liked the portal opening, and yes you already have voted for Lucina :P

FireEmblemMae: Thank you for your comment, it's highly prized (the same goes to all the reviewers!) Like I said, the family tree is...interesting? :D

SailorMint: Honestly, when I added Lucina as an option, I forgot how..."closely related" they are, but I'm still following majority vote, and so far it seems as though Jake either ends up with Nowi or Lucina. And I tried to continue making Lucina untrusting, but whenever I tried, I had trouble continuing the story, so I decided "screw it, why not?" besides, Jake isn't in Lucina's future, so there's not way he could be Chrom's killer...right? :D and yes, your opinion is valued as well :)

anonymoose p: While Nowi does have the appearance of a child, she is over a thousand (o.O) at least, that's what she told Lissa in-game. And I actually haven't been able to dig up very much reliable info on Tiki; at least not enough to make her a valid option/replacement for Nowi.


	5. Chapter 5

So sorry for the delay! Current vote standings:

Tharja - 0  
Panne - 0  
Nowi - 4  
Lucina - 5

The sister takes the lead :D Not much else for me to say right now, so let's continue, shall we?

* * *

I was still unnerved by my chat with Panne, but I had to put it aside now. What's done is done. Right now, I could only hope that she would heed my advice; I didn't want her consumed by revenge, as Sasuke was, and as Reyson almost was. I took a deep breath and followed my senses, until I found the same darkness from before. I hoped it was just darkness, not evil. _Then again, if it _were_ evil, I doubt Chrom would let her in the army...right?_

I found the tent that housed the darkness. I lifted the flap. "Hello?"

"What do you want?" Came her voice from the tent. "May I come in?"

"Sure."

_That was almost too easy...There must be something I'm missing._

Sure enough, when I entered, I saw the ground covered in voodoo dolls. I tried to ignore them, and my gaze found the girl I was looking for. "Ah, there you are," I said, trying to sound confident, like the voodoo dolls didn't bother me as much as they did.

"You are?" She asked.

"I'm Jake," I said, reaching out my hand. "What's your name?"

She stared for a moment, like it was a trick. She slowly shook my hand. "...Tharja. What do you want?"

"Tharja...that's a nice name," I complimented. I needed to be careful with my words. I couldn't tell if Nowi and Lucina hated me or not, and Panne is too caught up in her desire of revenge to care. I needed to make friends in this army, and fast.

"You're the new one, aren't you?" She asked. I nodded and chuckled. "Is it that obvious?" _Everyone seems to enjoy telling me that._

Tharja nodded. "I have voodoo dolls of everyone in this army, except you."

At her words, my jaw dropped. I was stunned. "W-what? Why everyone?"

The sorceress - now I knew she had to be one - smirked. "Let's just say I have issues. There's someone in this army that I desire, that's all I'll say for now."

"Uhh, okay?" I think the thing that got me the most was her voice. Intelligent, plotting, devoid of emotion. Her voice struck me as that of a female version of Soren.

"Tell me something," she said slowly. "Was that really Ike and Micaiah? I heard the whispers, but I don't believe it. Is it true?"

I blinked. _Cutting right to the chase...I like that._ "Yeah, it's them. They followed me through space to get here."

"Why?"

I shrugged. "I'm their friend, but right now, that's all I can say."

She looked like she was thinking about something for a moment. I waited patiently until she finished, then she asked me something very unexpected: "What's your favorite color?"

I shook my head as if I didn't understand the question. "Uhh...Where did that come from?"

"Just answer."

"Okay," I said, shrugging. "Blue."

She waved her hand through the air, and a blue voodoo doll materialized in her hand. I raised an eyebrow, though she remained silent.

_She doesn't like to talk about herself, does she?_ I decided to test my thought. "Hey Tharja, could you tell me a little about yourself? I know so little about this place."

"You're from Tellius like them, aren't you?" She asked, though her tone spoke like she knew. I nodded.

"That would explain how you don't know..." She began to explain a little bit, mostly about how Gangrel, Plegia's former king, was a tyrant. She turned traitor because she didn't feel like fighting on a day when she was forced to fight Chrom and his army. It was the same day that Emmeryn, Chrom's sister, the queen ('exalt', she called her) died. She also revealed that she was infatuated with someone in this very army, though she never said who she liked.

She didn't even mention whether this person was a 'he' or a 'she'. I had a feeling it was a male, especially if Ylisse had prejudice anywhere near Tellius...or most of the other worlds I've been to, for that matter. Although I wasn't quite certain.

As it was after she left that Validar became Plegia's king, I assumed that she knew little or nothing about him.

I held up a hand when I heard enough about it. "Thank you, Tharja. That's enough."

Her face turned the slightest shade of red, as if she spoke a little more than she intended. I understood, though I still did not know who she was infatuated with. I shrugged. "Well, I'm glad we had this chat. Unless there's something you'd like to say, I think I'll be off, then."

She stayed silent, though her piercing gaze followed me, watched me like a hawk. Even as I was leaving the tent I felt her eyes staring at the back of my head. It felt as though her gaze burned a hole in my head. I hoped it had nothing to do with the voodoo doll of me that she made.

It was just as I left the tent, when I heard Tharja say something that made my blood freeze: "Validar. Chrom. Almedha. Interesting."

I did my best to look as though I didn't hear her, but I felt myself start to sweat. I made my way to Chrom's tent, trying to put some distance between myself and the sorceress.

When I found the tent, I saw Chrom and the Tellius trio exiting. Micaiah waved at me. Chrom got everyone's attention and began giving out directions.

"Frederick, Panne, Micaiah, you three scout ahead. Make sure there's no ambushes or anything of the sort between here and Plegia."

The trio nodded and left without a word. Chrom had the rest of us pack up the camp and be ready to move out as soon as they returned.

/\/\/ 20 minutes later \/\/\

I helped Nowi take down the last tent in the camp, then wiped a bead of sweat from my forehead. It wasn't that packing up was hard work. It was more the fact that I was still a little worried...okay, more than a little.

I was worried about Panne's - and Tharja's - mental stabilities.

Worried about what Nowi meant when she said, 'I'm going to have some fun with you!'

Worried about whether Ike, Micaiah, and Soren would be able to return to Tellius.

Worried about my family tree, that I realized was getting more messed up by the minute.

Perhaps most of all, I was worried about what would happen when we arrived at Plegia. When I would meet Validar.

Just as the army finished packing, the scouting team returned. Micaiah held her arm as if she were injured. As soon as we saw, Robin, Ike, Chrom and myself were at their side.

"Micaiah, you alright?" I asked. She nodded.

"It's nothing. We were ambushed by a few bandits." She answered.

"There were only eight of them," Frederick added. "I took an arrow to the arm, but Micaiah healed it. I didn't see her take a hit. If she didn't have her famous foresight moment..."

"Then her country might not have been freed," I finished Frederick's sentence for him. I looked at the Silver-Haired Maiden. "You used Sacrifice?" She nodded.

I looked to the Great Knight. "Sacrifice is something only Micaiah can do. Basically, she absorbs another's pain, weakening herself to heal another. The arrow you took? She feels it now," I explained.

He nodded slowly, understanding. Chrom motioned for a healer, and Lissa pranced up, staff in hand.

As Lissa healed Micaiah's arm, we immediately continued the journey to Plegia. I kept an eye on my friends from Tellius, as well as my family from Ylisse.

/\/\/ In Tellius \/\/\

{3rd person, Mia's POV}

Mia raced around camp. When other people asked her why she was running around so much, she said it was for exercise. She needed to stay in shape somehow, right?

She met up with Sothe and Mist on the edge of camp. They half-walked, half-jogged until they were out of anyone else's hearing range.

"Did you find them?" She asked. The Valkyrie and Whisper both shook there heads: negative. "Damn," she whispered.

"Where could they have gone?" Mist asked, trying not to sound half as scared as any of them felt. First Jake, then Ike, Soren _and _Micaiah? What in the world is going on here?

"Dunno," Sothe whispered, "but the camp is starting to take notice."

When the trio noticed that the four were all missing, they instantly agreed that the others can_not_ know. Tellius was just recovering from war after pointless war. Three heroes missing would definitely cause friction between some nations, especially Daein, Begnion, and Crimea.

"Not good," Mist murmured, barely louder than Sothe. "Should the other rulers know about this?"

A small moment of silent thought followed her question. Micaiah's guardian was the one to answer.

"I don't know. If we can't find them, then probably. But not yet. We can't cause a panic among the people. If we do tell, Sanaki should probably know first." There was logic there. Sanaki _was_ Micaiah's little sister.

"Tch," was all Mia could say. She shook her head for a moment. "I can't believe this."

Mist looked to the thief. "Sothe, I think you're the best brain out of all of us. Can you possibly think of where they could have gone?"

Sothe knelt down and closed his eyes. Mia held Mist's hand tightly, trying to reassure them all that everything would be alright. After all, Mist and Sothe are surely suffering more than the swordswoman. Sure, Mia lost her rival, Ike, and her friend, Micaiah, as well as Soren and Jake, but the first two meant far more to Sothe and Mist.

After all, Ike is Mist's brother. He promised not to leave her behind when Greil was killed. He was also Sothe's hero, mentor, and the thief saw him as a big brother, like Mist, who probably felt scared and otherwise empty beyond belief.

Furthermore, Sothe must feel like crap. He promised time and again to follow and protect Micaiah. He lost not only his hero, but his "sister", and he must feel like he broke his promise in doing so. He masked his emotions well enough, but Mia was used to trying to decipher _Soren's_ emotions. Everyone knows that Sothe is no Soren.

Even so, Sothe was able to find enough focus to think. After a few minutes of a nearly uncomfortable silence, Sothe's eyes opened. "Mia, where was the last place you know that Jake went? I have a feeling that wherever he went, they went."

Mia thought for about ten seconds before it came to her. "Last I saw, Jake and Soren walked off toward the Serenes Forest. Soren came back, but Jake didn't."

Sothe nodded. "Then that's where we look."

* * *

As I mentioned earlier, I am so sorry for the delay in this update. I'm even more sorry that this chapter wasn't long enough to make up for it. I don't mean this as an excuse, but I ran into a massive writer's block whenever I tried to focus on this. I just couldn't. So I'm updating with this pitifully short chapter (at least compared to the rest of this story) to let you know that I'm still around, and that this is still in progress :S

I mentioned before that this would be just off the top of my head, so when I have trouble focusing like this, it sucks worse. :/

Hopefully the next chapter will turn out better than this did. Til then, peace out!


End file.
